The Indian company that’s helping Airbus fly

From design to manufacturing, it was a move that paid off

Four years ago, when aerospace companies began to outsource work to India, Melligeri, then chairman and co-founder of QuEST Global—best known as a supplier for automotive components—was quick to seize the opportunity. The company quickly diversified into aerospace manufacturing in Belagavi (Belgaum), Karnataka. Of course, moving from design to manufacturing for Airbus was not easy. “They were supportive but apprehensive at first,” said Melligeri. “So at the outset, there were only small orders, most of them for less than half a million dollars,” he remembers. Today, we get over US$12 million of their business.” In 2014, the company became Aequs Pvt Ltd, the first firm to make use of the higher FDI limit in the defence sector, increasing foreign funding to 40 percent of its equity. With? about 150 machines and US$50 million, Melligeri plans to create 1,000 new jobs in the next five years for supplying parts to all Airbus programmes. Srinivasan Dwarkanath, MD of Airbus India is optimistic. “Now we have a beautiful SEZ towards the vision of Make In India.”